Christy Walters Selected as Principal of Witch Hazel Elementary School

3/9/18 - Superintendent Mike Scott announced today that Christy Walters, current principal of Quatama Elementary School, has been selected as the new principal of Witch Hazel Elementary School, effective July 1, 2018.

Retired HSD administrators Janis Hill and Crystal Schmidt-Dipaola have been serving as co-interim principals of the school since the departure of former principal Jennifer Hernandez in October 2017.

Mrs. Walters started with the Hillsboro School District in 2006 as a Title I reading specialist and reading coach at Eastwood Elementary School, and site test coordinator at multiple locations. In 2010, she became an instructional coach at Witch Hazel Elementary School, where she spent four years and was instrumental in launching the school’s dual language program in the 2012-13 school year. In May of 2014, after spending two years on the Future Leaders team, gaining experience as a principal substitute, earning her administrative license, and serving as the interim principal of McKinney Elementary School, Mrs. Walters was named principal of Quatama.

At Quatama, Mrs. Walters has done an amazing job as an inclusive and active leader who is focused on the success of all students. The school has been nationally-recognized for its STEAM programs, and enjoys a vast network of parent and community partners that supports students and staff in a variety of ways.

The Quatama principal position will be posted from March 13-28, 2018, to allow sufficient time for interviewing and selecting a successful candidate by mid-to-late April. Human Resources staff will hold a feedback session at the school on Tuesday, March 20, at 6:30 p.m. so they can gather input on the skills and qualities parents would like to see in the next principal.

Superintendent Scott expressed his confidence in Mrs. Walters’ ability to provide long-term stability and strong leadership to Witch Hazel Elementary School.

Dear Witch Hazel Families,

It is with great pride and excitement that we, Janis Hill and Crystal Schmidt-Dipaola, are serving as Interim Principals of Witch Hazel Elementary School. We are excited to bring our skills as an educational leaders to your son’s/daughter’s school and to collaborate with you as a partner in education to ensure your child’s success.

Along with staff, we will work hard to continue the legacy of success established at Witch Hazel by building strong relationships with parents, students, staff, and community partners.  We will focus on character education initiatives through Positive Behavior Intervention Support, Capturing Kids Hearts, fostering a nurturing safe environment for children, use of data to inform instruction, consistent implementation of newly adopted English Language Arts to increase students’ achievement, by providing exciting and challenging enrichment opportunities for all students.

The diverse student population at Witch Hazel Elementary School provides everyone with an awareness and appreciation for all cultures. The Witch Hazel staff are passionate, dedicated educators who set high standards of achievement so our young scholars can be successful. We are determined to drive rigorous engagement in literacy, writing, math, and science, and provide individualized opportunities for student growth. To ensure this happens, we collaborate regularly around student learning, challenge one another, and seek to continuously improvement in teaching and learning. We set high expectations for ourselves and our young scholars, and work together in the process of achieving those expectations.

Thank you for trusting us with the education and caring development of your child. If you have questions or concerns that arise at any time, please do not hesitate to give your child’s teacher or us a call. Family support is a critical link to student achievement. We want to hear from you!

In partnership,

Janis Hill and Crystal Schmidt-Dipaola